West Bank - Son of executed female collaborator says he was tortured for confession

Associated Press | August 25, 2002

[HAL9000]

TULKAREM, West Bank, Aug 25, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- The son of the first known Palestinian woman to be executed as an Israeli collaborator on Sunday said gunmen tortured him until he invented a story about his mother's involvement in a militant's death.

Ikhlas Khouli, a 35-year-old mother of seven, was shot dead Saturday after being seized from her home in the West Bank city of Tulkarem.

Bakir Khouli, 17, lifted up his T-shirt at his one-room house in Tulkarem on Sunday to reveal black and blue marks he said were made by electrical wires shortly before his mother was killed.

"They accused me of helping Israeli intelligence," he told The Associated Press. "When they started beating me with this wire, I confessed and invented a story."

Dozens of suspected Palestinian collaborators have been killed since the beginning of a Palestinian uprising in September 2000, but Khouli was the first woman reported executed.

A member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is linked to the Fatah movement of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said the militia seized Khouli from her house on Friday and took her to a deserted building where they videotaped her confessing that she had spied for Israel.

On Saturday, she was executed as a lesson to others who would consider collaborating with Israel, he said on condition of anonymity.

He said Khouli admitted she had recruited her son Bakir to assist her.

Bakir said he told his torturers that he informed his mother of the whereabouts of militia leader Ziad Daas, killed by Israeli forces on August 7.

But he said he made up the story to avoid further torture.

Bakir said the gunmen allowed him to catch a glimpse of his mother shortly before she was taken away and shot. He said he was seized Friday from his Tulkarem home, his head covered by a bag, and tortured for about an hour.

A few hours later, his mother was taken, too, he said.

Najla'a Khouli, the eldest of the seven children at 18 years old, broke down in tears when she spoke of her mother, whose body she said she saw in a hospital.

"It was a horrible sight. I would never have imagined that one day I would see my mother like this," she said.

She said the children's father died of an illness eight months ago and that she is engaged to be married and will soon be leaving the family home.

"Who will take care of my brothers and sisters?" she asked.

An Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leader said his group was forced to "strike with an iron hand" to prevent collaboration with Israel.

"I know that this woman had children but we had no choice. We left her son alive to take care of the children," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Asked why his group employed torture, he said: "This is the only way you can get confessions from such people who betray their people."

[holyscroller]

Savages!

[FormerLurker]

Asked why his group employed torture, he said: "This is the only way you can get confessions from such people who betray their people."

Under torture, a person can be made to admit to virtually anything and everything. There is a limit as to what ANY human being can stand.

The validity of any confession or information obtained under torture is in most respects worthless.

[packrat35]

Let me be the first to say it. Islam is a religion of peace
(/sarcasm)

[TheEngineer]

Pardon me if I don't hold my breath waiting for Amnesty International and the UN to criticize these barbarians.

[sheik yerbouty]

I guess Mum would have been better off under IDF instead of PA rule.

[The_Media_never_lie]

"I know that this woman had children but we had no choice. We left her son alive to take care of the children," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

What humanitarians these Palistinians.

[Alouette]

Sun Aug 25, 1:50 PM ET

Seventeen-year-old Bakir Khouli lifts his shirt Sunday, Aug. 25, 2002, in the West Bank town of Tulkarem, to show marks he said were made by electrical wires as he was tortured shortly before his mother was killed. Bakir's mother, Ikhlas Khouli, 35, was shot dead Saturday for being a suspected collaborator with Israel. Bakir said that Palestinian gunmen tortured him until he invented a story about his mother's involvement in a militant's death. (AP Photo/Enric Marti)

[SJackson]

Sure, too much hash after afternoon incantations.

He hooked up the batteries, put the belt on backwards with loose wires. I'm sure it stung.

A shame it didn't go off. Maybe next time.

[aculeus]

Don't forget Mary Robinson, Mother Superior of Hypocrites.

[Alouette]

A shame it didn't go off. Maybe next time.

Would you turn in your own mother? Even under torture?

[SJackson]

No. Bad post.

Sometimes I fear I've lost my ability to empathize with the Palestinians, no matter how horrendious the circumstances their actions bring on themselves.

I agree, I shouldn't make fun of their pain.

[RnMomof7]

The religion of peace..

[esopman]

'Religion of Peace' bump. It will take much more than another 9/11 before our Republic wakes up and does what the WWII generation would have done. Annihilate these animals.

Unfortunately, this is largely an issue of recognizing certain spiritual truths. I shudder to think what will transpire before the scales fall from our eyes.

Blessings on Freepers Everywhere.

[RnMomof7]

'Religion of Peace' bump. It will take much more than another 9/11 before our Republic wakes up and does what the WWII generation would have done.

You have made a non PC statement with which I fully agree..

[Higgymonster]

You had a very good point about Amnesty International being quiet on this one. So, I wrote them to ask them why. I went to their web site and got the email of their Palestine Office, sent them an email asking them why, and it came back as "no such address".

[Catspaw]

They'll probably kill him too, just because he ratted out the Palies that tortured him and killed his mother.

[Robert_Paulson2]

We need to wipe them out.
every one of them.

This manifestation of hell cries for violent and persistant action to intervene... but what, who and when?

[TheEngineer]

Good Job, Higgymonster! It is a great feeling to watch these hippocrites squirm when they are confronted with their obvious bias and double-standards.

[DBtoo]

Cruelty seems to be highly ingrained in the Palestinian culture. That's why I am not too hopeful for Israel having any peace until the Palestinians are removed from there. Why don't the neighboring Arab countries take them in? But even if they were willing to do so, the Palis wouldn't go because they want to fight the Jews until they are all driven out of their land or until they are all killed. It's just a hopeless situation as long as the situation continues as it is. It's the pitt bulls being loose among a bunch of poodles. I don't think those people can change. So in my mind the Israelis are going to continue to suffer as long as there are Palestinians around who are obsessed with destoying the Jews.